“What? Why on earth did Eric come in?”

Rosé was frozen in place, shocked by the unexpected situation.

“I was here first.”

First… What?

Rosé’s brow furrowed at Eric’s voice.

“I thought you would be waiting. I’m sure pretending not to care about me, acting bored is getting tiring now. Because I’m not fretting as you expected.”

What on earth is he barking about?

No longer baffled by Eric’s insistence on attributing his actions to ‘strategy’, Rosé sighed.

With a smug smile, as if he could see through her, Eric snickered.

“You never deviate from my expectations.”

Arrogantly standing, Eric looked down at Rosé, then started to walk slowly towards her.

For every step Eric took, Rosé took one back.

Being trapped in a closed space with Eric was uncomfortable.

Furthermore, this situation… quite dangerous, right?

The sight of him approaching in just a robe…

Swallowing nervously at the thought of him lunging at her any second.

She could tell from past experiences. Eric was not the type to listen to reason.

‘I can’t avoid him by saying I have a date today…!’

Rosé bit her lower lip, anxiously watching Eric.

There was no point in saying she had a date when she came to bathe.

“I want to bathe alone.”

Rosé looked at Eric, eyes wide open. However, Eric didn’t even pretend to listen.

“I don’t understand why you’re playing coy now that we’re already here.”

He looked at Rosé as if she were acting ridiculous.

“I didn’t drag you here. You came here by yourself. You willingly accepted my invitation, so why are you playing hard to get now?”

It was then Rosé understood the meaning of Eric’s words.

Apparently, coming to this bathroom was a discreet signal between Rosé and Eric.

‘I never read about this in the novel.’

Perhaps because she hadn’t read past the beginning. Rosé didn’t know about such detailed signals between the couple.

Had she known what this bathroom meant to the couple, she would never have come.

“I didn’t accept your invitation. I was distracted today… I just wanted to relax my weary body.”

Despite her anxious circumstances, Rosé calmly continued.

“So, no. Please leave.”

At her refusal, Eric’s brow furrowed further.

He didn’t understand Rosé. She, who had always been obedient, was constantly trying to evade him.

“I don’t know how long you intend to keep saying things you don’t mean.”

Eric asked, not really listening to Rosé’s words.

“Your rejections are only fresh the first or second time. It’s no longer interesting. It would be better for you to stop before I get more fed up with you.”

He warned Rosé.

She couldn’t accept a simple ‘no’.

What a stubborn man Eric is.

Why can’t he understand that no means no?

Realizing that nothing she said would get through to him, Rosé’s expression hardened.

Eric boldly stepped towards Rosé, who was cautiously retreating.

“Eek!”

She ended up falling into the bathtub.

Despite the water only reaching her knees, she ended up dunking her face due to the impact of her fall.

The only sound in the bathroom was the splashing of water.

“Pfft!”

Rosé lifted her wet hair out of the water and gasped for air.

Eric did nothing to help her up, only staring at her soaking wet.

Rosé, drenched, was irresistibly tempting.

The water droplets running down her smooth skin were oddly stimulating.

When he had seen Rosé soaked in rain, he was merely disgruntled, but up close, she didn’t look so bad.

If anything, Eric was more provoked.

The droplets clinging to her long eyelashes fell with a soft plunk each time Rosé blinked.

Her eyes were so beautiful that he wanted to kiss them right there.

‘Has it been too long?’

Eric grabbed Rosé’s wrist as she lay in the tub, then promptly pulled her up to a sitting position.

“I’ve been neglecting you, so I’ll make sure to quell your resentment today.”

If they got divorced, he wouldn’t be able to hold Rosé for a ‘while’.

So he would have to cherish her dearly today.

Eric had no doubt that Rosé would cling to him even after their divorce.

For three years in the original work, Rosé was so persistent. She spoke to Eric out of habit.

“I cannot live even a single day without you.”

So Eric couldn’t help but think this way.

After being divorced, Eric was too busy fulfilling his own desires to think about the hurt Rosé would feel.

Rosé was nothing more than his possession, he had no reason to consider her feelings.

Eric approached Rosé as if he would kiss her at any moment.

“I’ll make you forget everything. Just surrender to your instincts. You love me, don’t you?”

Rosé stopped Eric’s approaching lips with one hand and said,

“Do you love me?”

Rosé stared at Eric with cold eyes.

She wasn’t asking because she didn’t know. She could tell just by looking at his eyes, he did not love her.

That he was merely treating her as an object.

Eric casually brushed off Rosé’s hand covering his mouth and opened his eyes slightly.

Tiredness swept over him. She was always like a foolish woman who wanted to affirm his love.